


After the End

by JulieVerne



Category: Warehouse 13
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-09
Updated: 2017-08-09
Packaged: 2018-12-13 07:15:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,739
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11754765
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JulieVerne/pseuds/JulieVerne
Summary: After the Season 2 finale





	After the End

After the Yosemite incident, Myka cuffs HG and puts her in the back seat of the RV. Someone comes to get Artie, and Myka drives, white knuckled, all the way to the B&B without a word.

Myka leads HG through the front door and ignores the protests of the rest of her team, leads HG upstairs, still not touching her, just trusting HG to follow her.

HG would follow her anywhere, into the very mouth of hell itself.

Myka leads HG to her room, where she'd only been once or twice at night under the guise of bringing Myka a cup of tea if HG could hear Myka moving around from her own lonely room. HG would perch on the end of Myka's bed in her night-things, and Myka would be somehow radiant in sweat pants and a singlet, breasts hanging loose beneath the thin fabric. Myka'd hand HG a book and HG'd lean back against the wall, sometimes reading with Myka until dawn.

Myka never said what was bothering her, what was keeping her up all night, but once she fell asleep HG would tuck her in, always hesitant before placing a small kiss on her forehead, HG's breath on Myka's face causing her to stir and for HG to step away.

Myka mustn't know what HG felt for her, HG'd tell herrself, because emotions were dangerous in their line of work.

HG wouldn't be able to go through with her plan if Myka had even an inkling of what had made her put it off so long.

\-----

Myka leads HG to her familiar room and shuts the door behind her.

She takes a deep breath as she faces HG.

"Thank you for not shooting me," Myka says finally.

"I could never," HG whispers in reply. HG was ready to end the world but HG could never harm Myka. HG'd forgotten, for a moment, or put out of her mind the fact that destroying this evil world would also destroy the only decent person she'd ever met.

"I would have died anyway," Myka says flippantly, watching HG flinch.

"I hadn't thought of that." HG says, looking down at her still cuffed hands and Myka sighs.

Myka pushes HG toward the bed, pushes her backwards by the shoulders until her knees bent and she sit down near the head of the bed. Myka pulls out a key, undoes one cuff and slides it around the bar of the bed instead of HG's wrist.

"You'll be safe here," Myka says and leaves the room.

\-------------------------------------------

Myka comes back in an hour with two cups of tea, made just the way HG likes it. HG can tell Myka warmed the teapot first, used hot but not boiling water, and steeped it for just long enough before pouring. She even got the tiny amount of sugar and milk right.

Myka takes one cup for herself. She'd left a few books within reach of HG so she has to put the one she was reading down to drink but it is more than worth it. Myka sighs again.

HG has disappointed her. It's the last thing HG wanted, other than Myka's destruction.

When Myka meets HG's eyes she tries to convey all of this - but Myka looks away. HG looks down at her tea instead.

"It's perfect. Thank you dar..." HG starts the pet name but pauses. HG doesn't deserve to call Myka that any more. "Thank you, Agent Berring."

"Today, I think I prefer darling. Look, I get it, I think. I get why you wanted to do this. Claudia told me your futile attempts at regaining your daughter in the kitchen. I can't even imagine... having to watch.. over and over... but there is good in this world."

"The only good thing in the world is in this room," HG says sharply.

"You're so conceited. You're unhappy, so the world has to end?" Myka snaps at HG.

"I wasn't talking about me," HG says quietly, putting her cup of tea down on the bedside table, running her fingers over the leather-bound cover of 'In the days of things to come'.

Myka sighs again, running her free hand over her face.

"Helena..." she starts, then stops and just looks at HG. "You don't even know what you've given up," she whispers almost too quietly, but HG catches it. Myka looks away as HG looks up, and HG's eyes linger on Myka's mouth as she brings the cup to her lips. Myka puts her cup next to HG's, sits on her bed beside her. "The Regents will have you taken away in the morning." She says calmly. "I don't know what they intend to do."

"Bronze?" HG half whispers, half whimpers. Myka's hand is on HG's back that very instant, it slides smooth against the Corsican Vest she still hadn't taken off.

Myka shivers as the ghost of a hand moves across her own back, then reaches forward for HG's buttons.

"I don't know." Myka says flatly. "But you don't deserve that."

"I tried to end the world," HG says, breathing sharply in as Myka's hands fumble their way down.

"You don't deserve that," Myka repeats as flatly as before. She's so uncertain, flinching every time she touches HG and HG realises Myka can feel her own hands on her own chest.

Apparently the Corsican vest doesn't just work with pain. Finally Myka raises her hands to the lapels, and with shaking hands she undoes the first button, then the next, then the next.

She pushes it from a shoulder, then another and it gets stuck on HG's cuffed wrist.

Myka sighs. Undoes the cuff briefly, removes the vest, then secures HG to the bed once more.

She's shaken; she's shaking.

"I'm supposed to frisk you for artifacts. What else do you have?" Myka asks, and HG nods her head to her pocket. HG pulls out a few objects; mere curios really, things that took her curiosity in the Warehouse, and hands them to Myka. Myka walks across the room to pile them out of HG's reach.

"Oh, and you'd probably like my Tesla?" HG asks. Myka looks shocked when HG says this. The weapon is tucked in the back of HG's pants and HG knows that Myka knows that HG could have reached it at any time during the drive, at any moment in this room and made her escape.

Myka's eyes soften.

"Where is it?"

"Pants." HG tells her, and raises her uncuffed hand. HG wants Myka to be sure HG's not a threat to her. Myka puts her head over HG's shoulder, one hand under HG's upraised arm and gently tugs the weapon from HG's waistband. Myka's breath is close to HG's ear and Myka is so close that she's almost pressed up against HG.

Almost, but not quite. HG would only have to exert the tiniest bit of pressure to knock her off balance and into herself, but HG remains still while Myka fills her senses.

Myka smells like dried sweat a little, and the after-effects of fear, sharp and metallic.

She's only hovering over HG for a few moments but HG commits them to memory;something to quiet her mind in the bronze. When Myka pulls back, she remains close, looks HG in the eye from inches away.

"Thank you," she says. "Will you try to escape if I let you shower?" And HG realises she must smell of heightened adrenaline and sweat and dust as well.

"You could always supervise, to make sure I don't," HG smirks, and picks up her tea.

Myka nearly smiles, then shakes her head, tips the last of the tea into her mouth.

"I'll let you go first, so don't use up all the water."

For a magical B&B, the plumbing isn't great. HG is halfway to another suggestive remark about sharing when Myka silences her with a single eyebrow raised.

"I'll behave," HG tells her. "I won't even lock the door."

She looks away then, fumbles for the key to the cuffs. HG knows Myka knows HG could over-power her easily so HG doesn't move as Myka uncuffs her. HG rubs her wrists when HG moves away; gravity has left an ugly ring on her wrist in the wake of the cuff.

Myka's mouth tightens and she looks away again. She pulls a towel and some clothes from her wardrobe, thrusts them into HG's arms.

"Your room is locked down," she says curtly. "These should fit." Myka pauses, then pulls some socks and underwear from a drawer. She places these on top of the rest of the clothes, then her hand hovers over her bras.

HG looks down at Myka's chest, then her own.

"It's fine," HG says quietly, and Myka closes the drawer.

Myka leads HG to the bathroom, and closes the door behind her. HG can hear the shuffle of a chair being placed outside the door, and she wonders if she's trying to keep HG from escaping or trying to preserve her modesty with the door unlocked.

HG wonders if Myka's taken protection detail over HG to make sure she don't escape, or to make sure no one else gets to her.

HG's clothes stick to her as she removes them, and she waits until the water temperature is right before she takes off her locket. She rests it on top of the clean clothes Myka has lent her, so she can put it on first.

The water feels nice, and HG knows Myka is spoiling her by allowing her to shower. Although there may be some self-serving to that, as she'll probably have to share a room with HG tonight.

They've shared her room before, but they were both awake and aware of each other. Things have changed and HG desperately wishes she could go back that 23 hours and 19 minutes to change it back.

It's too late. The ink in which ther lives are inscribed is indelible.

This could be the last time she's alone for a while, so she does something she's not proud of and feels deflated when she's done.

There's a knock on the door. "I said leave some water," Myka says through the door.

HG turns the shower off and begin to dry herself. She rubs her hair then gives up.

She looks at her locket. She doesn't know where she's going. HG puts it on, one last time.

She takes it off. She pulls on Myka's underwear (pink, cotton, clean) and a pair of skinny jeans.

HG puts her bra back on and slips one of Myka's white business shirts over it. She remains barefoot and puts her dirty clothes in the wash basket.

Myka escorts HG back to Myka's room, cuffs her to the bed again. She gathers a pile of clothes and leaves HG alone again. HG places the locket on the bedside table, moves the cups out of the way and continues reading, wet hair damping the collar of Myka's shirt, Myka's shirt that is soft and smells like her.

Myka comes back, puts some shoes on and leaves again without a word to HG.

\-----------------------------------

Claudia brings HG supper. It's salad and cold meat, and Claudia hovers just out of HG's reach with wide eyes, then darts forward to place the plate on the bedside table beside her and backs away.

"Myka's filling out her reports," she says quickly. "She should be done soon."

"I am fond of you. I meant you no harm," HG says quietly. Claudia scoffs, then looks thoughtful.

"I'm fond of you. I know it wasn't personal." She steps forward, picks up the locket. She's in arm's reach. "Joshua..." she says quietly, looking at HG's daughter's face.

Claudia quickly flings herself into HG for a quick, limb-filled hug, then springs back and darts out the door.

HG takes it Claudia's forgiven her.

\-----------------------------------------------

Myka comes in a few hours later, removes the plate and cups. HG asks her for another book. Myka steps to her bookcase and pulls out some Verne. HG makes a face, but Myka raises an eyebrow and HG open the book. Myka returns quickly, and with a glance at HG, she turns her back and removes her shirt. She pulls a singlet over her head, then struggles to remove the bra beneath. She slides her pants off, replaces them with sweat pants.

She's getting ready for bed, but HG is cuffed to her bed. HG's heart is pounding.

Myka looks at HG, rolls her eyes and throws a pair of sweatpants at HG. It's hard to dress under Myka's watchful eye, still cuffed to the bed. But HG removes and replaces the pants.

"I forgot you weren't going anywhere," Myka says a little apologetically, "else I would have given you pajamas in the first place."

HG shrugs, and Myka uncuffs HG yet again. She pulls out a singlet for HG but her wrist is sore and unresponsive. Myka chaffs the cold wrist briefly between her hands, then undoes HG's buttons for her. HG stares Myka down in her bra until Myka hands HG the singlet. HG is not going through this again in the morning, so she doesn't even attempt to wriggle her way out of the bra.

"Where am I sleeping?" She asks, in a voice much quieter than she intended.

"Here," Myka says. Myka picks up HG's wrist again, rubs it some more. HG tries not to flinch because HG thought Myka was never going to touch her again at some point today so she has to relish these moments that Myka's close and warm and alive and looking at HG with concern. "I thought you'd rather have one hand free. I had to leave you restrained if I wasn't with you. I thought..."

"I could read, while I was alone. It was very thoughtful," HG tells her quickly, moving stiff fingers. HG can see Myka weigh things up for a minute, look over at the bed and the bar on it that is just too high for HG's hand to rest comfortably.

"Would you like to read some more?" She says quietly, because it's still early. HG picks up the Verne in response and keeps reading, sitting at the base of Myka's bed.

When HG picks up the book, it reveals the locket, resting beneath it on Myka's bedside table. Myka looks at HG as she steps away from it. Myka picks it up, hesitantly, opens it gently, glancing at HG now and then.

Myka steps over and extends her hand with the locket to HG. "I've never seen you without it, even in sleep,"she says, hinting she has come into HG's room at night the way HG went to Myka's.

HG doesn't sleep anywhere near as well as Myka does. HG's awake to feel Myka's stare on her skin, on her face, Myka's hand in her hair before she turns to leave.

HG shakes her head.

HG pushes Myka's hand away.

"I don't know where I'm going, if I'll be allowed any metal. I'd like to keep it safe, darling," and HG knows she sounds pleading when she adds: "and I can't think of a safer place than you." Myka swallows, closes her fingers around the locket.

"I won't wear it," she says hastily, "but I'll keep it safe."

"I'd like to see you wear it, but I'll understand if you don't."

Myka stands there, in the middle of her room, staring at HG with welling eyes.

HG can't stand it. HG stands up, slowly, and steps into Myka. HG brings her arms around Myka and Myka's suddenly crying.

HG's the one who lost her daughter. HG's the one who's going goodness knows where in the morning. HG's the one who should be crying. But instead it's Myka who's crying.

"I just found you," she says finally, her voice muffled by HG's shoulder where Myka's head has found refuge. HG's hands wander Myka's back wordlessly. HG hadn't dared to hope, hadn't dared to think, but this statement, this heartfelt sobbing statement makes her ache.

"I know, darling, and I'm ever so sorry."

Myka pulls away and swipes at her face. HG steps back, sits on the end of the bed with her book like everything's normal. Like she won't be gone in the morning. Like she didn't try to end the world.

Myka picks up a book of her own sits next to HG. Her arms brushes HG's every time she turns a page. HG's been tortured before. This is worse.

Finally Myka closes her book. She's composed now. She picks up the handcuffs.

"I'm sorry..." she starts, but HG shakes her head, puts down the book and holds out both hands.

HG remembers, briefly, the first time Myka cuffed her, the way HG tried to prolong the contact with this woman she didn't even know back then.

Any moment HG has with Myka is to be savoured.

Myka slides the cuffs on carefully and guides HG to lie down. Myka puts HG's locket on the bedside table and slides under the covers next to her. Then she lifts HG's arms, and slides in between them and HG's body. HG lowers her arms, settles them around Myka's rib cage as Myka's hands grasp at her back.

"I am supposed to cuff you if I'm not watching you," Myka explains, "and this way I'll know if you try to leave while I'm sleeping."

There are other ways she could have achieved this, but HG doesn't point any of them out to Myka.

HG just smooths Myka's shirt down over her hips, then brings her hands over Myka's ribs.

HG can't quite believe she's holding Myka finally, that Myka's allowing HG to hold her in her own bed.

HG can't quite let herself believe the way Myka's hands are moving across her back means anything.

Because if it does, well, she's really snookered herself.

\---------------------------------------------

When Myka's finally asleep, when her hands finally stop caressing HG's spine, ribs, the back of her neck, her hip bones, her hair, the patch of skin behind her ear, when Myka's eyes have finally stopped staring at HG's mouth in the dim light of the room, then HG throws her caution to the wind.

HG is leaving in the morning, destination unknown. It's no time to be shy, but somehow she still is.

The cuffs clink a little as HG holds Myka in her arms. Myka sighs and pulls HG closer, and for a moment HG thinks Myka's still awake. But Myka stills again, face loose and open, hands limp on HG's torso. This is HG's last chance. This is HG's only chance, and HG regrets she isn't doing this under better circumstances.

HG moves her face slowly toward Myka's and ends up nuzzling her nose against Myka's before meeting Myka's lips with her own. Myka's intoxicating, this close, and HG meant to just land a gentle peck on her, an expression of what this kindness in her last hours has meant to HG, what she has meant to HG, the regret HG feels for her actions, how she wishes everything was different, but it's hard to convey all of that in just one quick peck.

HG ends up kissing Myka, and Myka's lips are softer than HG ever let herself imagine, she tastes better than HG ever let herself imagine and it's at this moment that HG lets herself be honest with how often she had imagined this.

Very.

Myka's mouth moves against HG's, Myka's eyes flutter but she kisses HG back for a moment before they open.

When Myka's eyes open she doesn't pull away immediately. She doesn't pull away at all. She kisses HG hungrily, and HG can feel all her anger and disappointment in her but she takes it because somewhere in there is a little hope on both sides.

Myka pulls away, breathless and beautiful. Her hand caresses HG's face, another rests on HG's hip. She leans in, kisses HG softly and sweetly, the way HG'd imagined Myka would.

Then she rolls over in HG's arms, pulls HG's cuffed hands to her chest and lies motionless.

If HG is executed in the morning, she will die happier than she could have believed possible.

\-------------------------------------------------------

HG is uncuffed in the morning, and Myka is dressing. HG catches a glimpse of breast she isn't sure was unintentional, but Myka looks over her shoulder and smiles as she shrugs her bra on.

HG puts her feet on the ground, and there's a knock on the door. Lena hands a breakfast tray to Myka, who hands it to HG.

HG stares at it.

HG is not hungry. The full implications of her actions are clear now, and it's also clear that if HG had made her move before now, it would have been reciprocated. Now, it's too late. The Regents are coming and HG feels she deserves whatever fate hands her.

But, even if she's encased in bronze, or they decide her death is in the interest of the world, HG has the memory of last night to keep herself warm.

If HG had just known how Myka felt before last night, she would have disengaged the plan.

HG would have gone to her, and now she doesn't deserve to.

Sod time and its endless stream of causality.

Myka turns to HG, and it's then HG realises she's crying. Myka sits next to HG, pulls HG to her, rubs her back and makes soothingly murmurs of kindness that HG feels she doesn't deserve.

"If I'd just known..." HG says finally. "If I'd just known that it wasn't just me... that I wasn't alone..."

"I'm sorry I never let you know," Myka says gently, "but it was rather an overreaction."

HG spits out a laugh then. And Myka raises HG's face to kiss her. Myka's so gentle, so forgiving.

\-------------------------------------------------------------

HG is in the Regents' sanctuary later that day, when she reaches into the breast pocket of Myka's shirt. Something's been poking her breast all day but she hasn't had time to check to see if it was what she thought it was.

It's HG's locket. And tiny post-it reading 'you can owe me'.

HG has the memories of Christina and her memories of Myka to keep her sane now.

One will make her sad, the other will bring her hope.

HG wanted to end the world; Myka just wanted to hold her.


End file.
